This footage was taken by B’Tselem during a protest against Israel’s Pillar of Defense operation against Gaza (November 19, 2012). The protesters – Palestinian high-school boys from Tuqu’, in the West Bank – are seen chanting and occasionally throwing stones at soldiers near Route 356. Neither the soldiers nor any passing car seemed to have been under threat.

At 1:53, you can see a soldier opening live fire, from a great distance, at the children. One boy, who was injured in his stomach, is carried away by other protesters. The shooter is immediately pushed away by another soldier.

B’Tselem has asked the army to investigate the incident.

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directrob

Vadim

This is a rather liberal use of the term “unarmed protesters”. I didn’t see protesters, I saw people who were throwing stones at armed soldiers.

Stones can kill or maim and I have a feeling these “unarmed protesters” would not be too sad killing or injuring a soldier.

I know some people here think Arabs are incapable or taking responsibility for their actions, that they are driven into an uncontrollable rage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M87C7i8X09I) by “provocations” which they cannot resist and then automatically commit acts of violence. I don’t think this is the case. And so – people throwing stones at armed soldiers can and should expect to be fired upon.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the teen was just as “wounded” as he was “unarmed” and “protesting”.

A sharp shooter, some distance away, opened fire as the more proximate soldiers were withdrawing slowly, cars backing up, with no evident threat to themselves. The sharp shooter was pushed by his partner sharp shooter to prevent further firing. There is no threat to IDF soldiers here, and another sharp shooter knew it, as evident by his actions.

Have you given yourslef a lobotomy in love of YHWH?

Reply to Comment

Vadim

WednesdayJanuary 9, 2013

“Have you given yourself a lobotomy in love of YHWH?”

Really?! I’m not religious and not easily offended but that comment is disgusting.

Regardless – I think your interpretation is false and the firing justified, though probably unnecessary. I think there was a threat, that you don’t know what the other soldier thought, that the backing car was further away by that time and that you have no clue of how it feels have boulders thrown at you. I also think that you’d say the same things if a crowd of Arabs had stormed the soldiers with axes, sticks and Molotov cocktails. Maybe you’d also add that it was the occupation that made them do it. Would you add that it was done because of a “lobotomy in love of Allah”? Don’t think so.

Like I said – people should take responsibility for their actions. Just to be clear – I would say the same even if the people throwing the stones were Jews, Americans, Russians or whatever. You DO NOT throw stones at armed forces.

Reply to Comment

directrob

WednesdayJanuary 9, 2013

You used the word “Arabs” and a weasel word introduction in combination with a link to an utterly disgusting youtube clip (that clip is evil racist propaganda using the death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah and not satire). Just as the people in the clip you did not bother to check the facts and you implied the boy was unharmed.

I would never use Greg’s words but it is hard to see anything positive in your contribution.

I’ve grown tired of the religious right hiding behind God. And, for that matter, the corporate nationalist right hiding behind the abstraction of race.

There is no justification for this shooting on the filmed evidence. None. And one sharp shooter agreed by pushing the firing other. If you want to help your nation, have it own up to this wrong. It could do so: by admitting the firing was against procedure, by financing the rehabilitation of the damaged soon to be young man and helping him find a place in his world.

Or you can just justify everything that the State does. I will respect Yahweh when He comes to terms with these events–not before.

Reply to Comment

Vadim

ThursdayJanuary 10, 2013

Greg –
1. Your respect or disrespect of any god or deity is your own business. I honestly couldn’t care less.
2. I don’t justify everything my state does. Just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean I’m brain washed. Israel has its share of problems, as does any country.
3. Had it been a normal demonstration – with people walking about, holding signs and shouting stuff – I would have totally agreed with you. Somehow, what people call “demonstrations” and “unarmed protest” around here do not look like that. For some reason, our neighbours (not all of them of course) seem to think the best way to protest is to throw stones. Stones may kill and maim. All I’m saying is that if you throw large stones at soldiers – you lose some of your rights as “peaceful protester”. This is called taking responsibility for your actions.

It’s easy to sit here and say the fire was not justified. It’s a bit harder making this decision with a crowd of people hurling boulders at you…

1) We well know that religion is being used to expand vanguard settlements, and that these settlements further inflame resident Palestinian anger. I do not see why belief in Yahweh cannot be used to decry the present act.

2) Even on your own terms, this video does not support you. Tear gas would have been the first reply to teenagers throwing rocks. The two far distant soldiers are clearly sharp shooters. That the non-firing soldier pushes the other indicates it was a wrongful shot on IDF’s own terms of engagement. If you cannot admit that a soldier has fired needless, hitting a teenager greatly damaged for life, then you have no interest in IDF control at all. Rocks are not bullets. Your government has moved from a war against suicide cells to a policing action against a significantly underarmed population. If you want to do this with dignity, soldiers blatently violating regulations must be called to account, with real reparation to the victim.

No tear gas is present, near IDF are in ordered slow withdrawal, the shooting soldier is pushed off by his partner. This case is very clear cut. If all one can say is “there were rocks thrown,” then the reality of a policing action is being denied. I know the soldiers are young too; but there is a price to winning. You’ve won he ground; now own up to the purported morality of the IDF and State. This could be done. Reparations could be made here. But do you think it will happen? Why not?

Directrob’s B’Tselem link makes this post much more credible, as it provides the history of the injured after the 6 week ago incident.

It is very clear that the nearest IDF were in orderly withdrawal. The distant IDF soldier clearly fired without reason, as demonstrated by his partner who immediately pushed him aside to prevent further firing. Clearly, the shooting soldier went amok. The information provided by B’Tselem as to the boy’s condition is easily verified as the boy was in Hospital. The reported injuries are great, not some form of child play. This is apparently as clear a case as you can have of unprovoked military attack.

You will know you have a moral army when an incident such as this is fully reported by the IDF within–at the oustide–3 days; and when the State assumes cost and responsibility for the consequences of this amok soldier.

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I am an independent journalist and editor. I have worked for Tel Aviv’s Ha-ir local paper, for Ynet.co.il and for the Maariv daily, where my last post was deputy editor of the weekend magazine. My work has recently been published in Haaretz, Yedioth Ahronoth, The Nation and other newspapers and magazines.

I was born in Ramat-Gan and today live and work in Tel Aviv. Before working as a journalist, I served four and a half years in the IDF.

About +972 Magazine

+972 is an independent, blog-based web magazine. It was launched in August 2010, resulting from a merger of a number of popular English-language blogs dealing with life and politics in Israel and Palestine.

+972 is an independent, blog-based web magazine. It was launched in August 2010, resulting from a merger of a number of popular English-language blogs dealing with life and politics in Israel and Palestine.